Motor racing-Virgin F1 team seeks name change to Marussia

LONDON

LONDON Nov 1 Virgin Racing want to change their
name to Marussia next season to more accurately reflect the
Formula One team's current ownership structure.

F1 team sources told Reuters on Tuesday that the request
would be put to a meeting of the governing FIA's Formula One
commission in Geneva on Thursday along with others already made
by Renault and Team Lotus.

Renault, no longer owned by the French carmaker, want to be
renamed Lotus while Team Lotus plan to take the name of niche
sportscar maker Caterham.

The changes will require the agreement of 18 of the
26-member commission.

Russian sportscar maker Marussia took a significant stake in
Virgin Racing last year and are the title sponsor.

The team, who have yet to score a point since their debut
in 2010, compete under a Russian licence and announced a
long-term technical partnership with McLaren in July to help
them move up the grid.

The Virgin Group run by billionaire Richard Branson, who
attended Sunday's inaugural Indian Grand Prix near New Delhi,
would remain a partner of the British-based team and retain
branding on the car.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Clare Fallon; For
Reuters sports blog Left Field go to: blogs.reuters.com/sport)